4 Reasons Faculty Aren't Submitting Adoption Requests On Time

Getting adoptions submitted on time is a team process. The staff member in charge of your book list bears the majority of the responsibility, but he or she is reliant on the cooperation of your school's faculty members to get everything done on time. With that in mind, it is understandably frustrating when they do not receive that cooperation. Even just a single unresponsive faculty member can hold up the entire process. But most of the time, they're not doing it just to spite someone. Usually they aren't even aware that their inaction is creating a big problem. But why is that?

Here are a few reasons why your faculty members may not be submitting their adoption requests on time:

1. They are new to the adoption process

This is an understandable problem, especially for new teachers, and is frankly not always their fault. But whether this process was not communicated or comprehended properly is probably less important than making sure that Faculty Member X understands the importance of their role in the adoption process. If you do not already do so, make sure that you are providing some kind of guideline or education to your teachers, whether they are new or not. If you would like help in providing them that information or instruction you can always contact your account manager, who will be more than happy to help.

2. They don't recognize the savings they can provide their students

Most teachers want to do whatever they can to help their students (or their students' parents). So when a faculty member does not get their lists in early, it is a fair assumption to think that they don't realize what they are costing their students. Well before the submission deadline, it should be made clear to faculty that early adoptions allow you to get more used and rental books (among other cost-saving options), which in turn save their students money. If they have a better feeling for what's at stake, chances are they'll be more proactive.

3. They don't know what effect it has on buyback

An early-submitted list helps a great deal when preparing for buyback. That way, you already know which books your instructors are planning on using the following semester, and you (or whomever is running your buyback) can purchase those necessary titles from students in greater quantities. A list submitted after, or too close to, buyback can leave you scrambling or without the books you need for the next term.

4. They aren't sure which books they want to use the following term

Unlike the options listed above, some faculty members' inactivity could simply come down to indecision. But by making them aware of some of the consequences of continuing that indecision, including those above, you should be able to put enough gentle pressure on them to get them to submit their adoptions requests ahead of the deadline. And again, if they need help, be sure to tell them how they can research titles and utilize Course Director to help ease the process.